Hello and welcome to what will surely be the most skewed preamble-to-live-coverage ratio in minute-by-minute history. Given that only two balls need to be pulled out for us to know the full semi-final line-up, the draw will take a mere matter of seconds. You may, therefore, be expecting a certain amount of filler. You'd be right.

Richard Watkins has emailed in to question who would get the Uefa Cup place if Portsmouth qualify through the Premier League and then beat Cardiff in the final. Cardiff aren't allowed to qualify for Europe through the Cup because of their awkward, er, Welshness. The European place would go on down the league table, so, no Richard, the losing semi-finalists will not be heading to Armenia for the Euro Vase qualifiers.

So let's start of with those numbers in full:

1 Cardiff City

2 Portsmouth

3 West Bromwich Albion

4 Barnsley

The latest odds put the Tykes as rank outsiders, despite their victories over Liverpool and Chelsea. Pompey are odds on, and unlikely to get any longer.

For the neutrals a West Brom v Cardiff semi might appeal - the two matches between those sides so far this season have produced 12 goals, and the Baggies have have scored 16 times in five FA Cup games this season. Either way there will be a non-top-flight team in the final this season, which has to be a good thing. Oh.

It is much more interesting this way though, isn't it? No matter what fixtures the draw throws up, the semis are going to be gripping. I can't actually remember a better FA Cup weekend than the one just gone. Even Bristol Rovers v Albion was a belting game, and one the home side might have won with better finishing in the first half. The worry, I suppose, is that the quarter-finals have raised expectations that the last four won't be able to match.

Bit-of-a-rant dept. Does anyone seriously expect the semis not to sell-out? The problem won't be empty seats in the Cardiff/Barnsley ends - it'll be the empty seats in the corporate hospitality 10-year membership sections. In fact, I'm prepared to predict that demand from all the teams will be strong enough to raise questions about making those seats available to fans for the games. So there.

Why the Albion are going to win the whole thing. Definitely. For sure. "Last time, West Brom won the FA Cup was the year I was born," says Gordon Lynch, who may or may not be a carpenter. "My son was born at the start of this season, so I'm wondering if he has some messianic power that will mean the Baggies time has come again." If anyone else has that sort of link, remember it's not too late to make a start on next season.

"What's the betting that, despite neither team being in the draw, that the FA will still draw out Man Utd v Chelsea?" asks a oh-so-cynical Jonathan Malpass. Bryan Robson, by the way, will be doing the draw. Will he be capable of managing that? Bom tish!

Right, here we go...

Barnsley v Cardiff

West Brom v Portsmouth

Well, Robbo managed it, utilising a bizarre backhanded wrist-twisting style to show the balls to the camera. So one of Barnsley and Cardiff will be there in the final, and both Portsmouth and West Brom have got the draw that neither of them wanted.

If you're interested dept. Barnsley haven't beaten Cardiff away from Oakwell since 1983. The Tykes manager Simon Davey, nevertheless, looks delighted at the prospect of facing City, and Cardiff's Dave Jones looks as stony-faced as ever, though he proclaims himself "delighted" just to be in the last four.

Peter Ridsdale, the Cardiff chairman, reckons it'll be a "special day" at Wembley for both sides, while the Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie is in philosophical mood. "To win the FA Cup you have to beat two of the other three semi-finalists," he says, not unreasonably.